Golf ball washer



May 24, 1932 E. M. I AlNG 1,859,626

GOLF BALL WASHER Filed Aug. 5, 1929 Patented May 24, 1932 PATENT OFFICE EDWARD M. LAING, 0F HIGHLAND PARK, ILLINOIS GOLF BALL WASHER Application led August 5, 1929.V Serial No. 383,540.

This invention relates to a golf ball washer, and more particularly to an improved apparatus that may be located near a. tee for eX- peditiously and eiiiciently cleaning a golf ball.

The present invention relates to certain improvements on the type of golf ball washers disclosed and claimed in co-pending applica-tion Serial No. 292,491, filed July 13, 1928.

The principal object of this present invention is to provide an improved means for reciprocating a golf ball between a. pair of brushes immersed in a cleaning liquid such as water, this golf ball holder being so designed as to securely hold the ball between the brushes without interfering with its rotative movements and while permitting a maximum amount of the balls surface to be exposed to the action of the brush bristles. The ball holder is also designed so as to cause a minimum amount of wear on the brushes.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be more apparent from the following detailed description of one approved form of the apparatus.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a transverse vertical section through the apparatus, the view being taken substantially on the line 1 1 of Fig. 2.

Fig. V2 is a longitudinal vertical section taken substantially on the line 2 2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a perspective View of the improved member for holding and reciprocating the ball between the brushes. Y

The supporting standard, of any suitabl form, comprises an upright post 1 having an outstanding collar or flange 2 below t-he cylindrical upper end 3 on which is rotatably mounted the collar 4.

The horizontal cover plate 5 of the golf ball washeris formed at one side with an upstanding vertical liange 6 which is secured by bolts 7 to the supporting collar 4. The cover plate 5 is formed with a longitudinally extending central slot 8, and at either side of this slot are upstanding ianges or brackets 9 and 10, the bracket 10 being connected with flange 6 by the strengthening web 11.

A lever 12 is provided at an intermediate point with a pivot opening 13 by means of which it is fulcrumed on the shaft 14 jour- 55 naled in the flanges or brackets 9 and 10.

A pair of cover iiaps 15 adapted to normally close the slot 8 have ears 16 pivoted on shaft 14 at either side of the lever 12. The longerupper arm 17 of lever 12 is formed 60 as an operating handle which may be oscillated back and forth through an are of substantially 180 degrees above the horizontal plane of the top of plate 5. During this movement the shorter lower arm 18 of lever 12 will 65 project downwardly through slot 8 in cover plate 5 and be oscillated therebeneath.

A pair of similar brushes or other equivalent scrubbing devices are mounted in opposed positions beneath the plate 5, the backs 19 of the brushes being secured to the bottom of plate 5 by screws .2O which pass through slots21 elongated transversely of the plate 5. The slots 21 permit the brushes to be adjusted toward or from one another. The bristles 22 75 of the brushes project toward one another so that the space therebetween is considerably less than the diameter of a golf ball. The lower end 18 of the lever 12 is adapted to oscillate between these brushes.

An open topped receptacle 23 for holding the water or other cleaning liquid is suspended beneath cover plate V5 in any suitable manner. As here shown, laterally projecting ears 24 on plate 5 are received between pairs of 85 similar ears on receptacle 23 and pins 25 pass through these ears to support the receptacle 23. A downwardly projecting flange 26 on the lower face of plate 5 lits within receptacle 23 andholds the receptacle in properly een- 90 tered position.

The lower end of arm 18 of lever 12 is expanded into the formv of a loop or ring 27 which encloses a circular opening 28 of greater diameter than the diameter of a golf ball 95 so that the ball may rotate freely therein and have a certain amount of bodily movement from one side, ofthe ring to the other. This ring 27 is ma-de relatively thin parallelwith the axis of shaft 14 so that a maximum sur- 100 face of the ball can project at either side of the ring and be exposed to the action of the brushes. A series of lugs 29, 30 and 31 project from each side of ring 27 at substantial right angles to the plane of the ring and toward the brushes. These lugs are spaced at suitable distances so that any adjacent pair of lugs will prevent the golf ball from working out of the opening 28 at either side of holder 27 when the ball is being reciprocated between the brushes. It is desirable that these lugs be so designed so as to present a minimum of resistance to the bristles 22 of the brushes, whereby the wear on the brushes is reduced to a minimum, and the maximum proportion of the bristles can contact with the surface of the ball during the cleaning operation. F or this reason, the lugs are made relatively thin in one lateral dimension, with this thinner portion of each lug substantially aligned with the path of travel of the lugs through the brush bristles. In the example here shown, each lug is made of a long and thin substantially rectangular cross section wherebyadequate strength is provided, with the longer dimension of the lug positioned substantially tangent to the arc of travel of the lug about the pivotal axis 14s. In this way the narrow portion of each lug will cut through the brushes and provide a minimum of wear thereon.

When the handle 17 is swung down to the right to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2, the ball-holding loop 27 will be elevated out of the receptacle 23 to the dotted line position, carrying one of the flaps 15 upwardly with it so that a ball 32 may be inserted within the opening 28. The handle 17 is then swung upwardly and oscillated back and forth so as to oscillate the lower end 18 of the lever and the ball-holder 27 between the brushes 22. As the ball-holder is swung back and forth, the ball 32 will roll on the brushes and will have a certain amount of translatory movement in the opening 28 whereby continually changing surfaces of the ball will be exposed to the brushes. Due to the proportioning of the ring 27 and the lugs 29 to 31 thereon as herein above described, a maximum amount of the surface of the ball will be exposed to the bristles 22 during this cleaning operation.

The pivotal liaps l5 normally close the slot S so as to prevent splashing duri ng the cleanf ing operation and to prevent evaporation of the cleaning liquid when the device is not in use. These flaps are automatically lifted by the ball holder when it is swung out of the receptacle at either side, and close automatically by their own weight.

By simply removing the pins .25,y the receptacle 23 may be removed to clean the same or to renew the supply or liquid therein. Vhile Water will ordinarily be suificient as a cleaning agent it is to be understood that other receiving the ball, there being a plurality of spaced lugs projecting from the member at each side thereof to hold the ball within the opening while confined between the brushes.

2. A golf ball cleaner comprising a receptacle for holding liquid, a pair of opposed f brushes mounted in the receptacle, and a member mounted for reciprocation between the brushes, the member being of considerably less thickness than the diameter of a golf ball and formed with an opening for loosely receiving the ball, there being a plurality of spaced lugs projecting from the member at each side thereof to hold the ball within the opening while confined between the brushes, each lug being relatively thin in one lateral dimension, this thinner portion of the lug being substantially aligned with the path of movement of the lug through the brushes so as to reduce the wear on thc brushes to a minimum.

3. A golf ball cleaner comprising a receptacleA for holding liquid, a pair .of opposed brushes mounted in the receptacle, and a member intermediately pivoted above the receptacle and formed with an upper handle portion, and a lower portion of considerably less thickness than the diameter of a golf ball. and adapted to swing between the brushes, the member being formed with an opening in .this lower portion for loosely receiving a golf ball, there being a plurality of spaced lugs projecting from the member at each side thereof to hold the ball within the opening while confined between the brushes.

4. A golf ball cleaner comprising :a receps tacle for holding liquid, a pair of opposed brushes mounted in the receptacle, and a member intermediately pivoted above the receptacle and formed with an upper handle portion, and a lower portion of considerably less thickness than the diameter of a golf ball and adapted to swing between the brushes, the member being formed with an opening in this lower portion for loosely receiving a golf ball, there being a plurality of spaced lugs projecting from the member at each side thereof to hold the ball within the opening while confined between the brushes, each lug being relatively thin in one lateral dimension, with its longer sides positioned substantially tangent to the arc of m ovcment of the lug whereby the minimum of resistance is oered to the passage of the lugs through the brushes.

EDWARD M. LAING. 

